INDIANAPOLIS – Monta Ellis will begin next season in a suit jacket next to his teammates on the Indiana Pacers bench.

The NBA announced Friday afternoon that Ellis, the Pacers’ veteran shooting guard, will be suspended for five games after violating the league’s anti-drug program. It did not disclose details, in accordance with the league policy. Reggie Bullock of the Detroit Pistons also was suspended five games for the same violation.

A player's first infraction of the drug policy results in the mandatory completion of a substance abuse program. A second infraction results in a $25,000 fine. Neither of those infractions is announced by the NBA. A third infraction results in a five-game suspension. A fourth infraction would incur a 10-game suspension, with five more games for each subsequent positive test.

Reggie Bullock and Monta Ellis suspended five games for "violating the NBA's anti-drug policy." Only weed leads to a five-game suspension.

“Monta’s suspension is a very serious matter to our franchise and it will be dealt with accordingly,” Pritchard said.

Ellis' representative did not immediately respond to a message.

His suspension will begin when the regular season starts and he is eligible and healthy enough to play.

Ellis, 31, struggled throughout last season to find the explosiveness and quickness that had made him a successful scorer. He averaged just 8.5 points in 74 games with the Pacers in his second year with the team. It was his lowest scoring average since his rookie season with Golden State in 2005-06.

When Ellis signed with the Pacers for a four-year deal in 2015, he was expected to be the veteran guard who could help Paul George and George Hill by igniting the franchise’s new philosophy to become a more up-tempo offensive team. Ellis did his best to bring veteran wisdom, leadership and stability as an additional ball handler. But Ellis’ two seasons with the Pacers have been inconsistent because of injuries, turnovers and his questionable shot selection.

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Coach Nate McMillan remained loyal to Ellis for much of last season. But it became clear he needed to make an adjustment during the playoffs. McMillan started C.J. Miles over Ellis in Games 3 and 4 of the opening round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ellis was largely ineffective throughout the series.

Earlier in his career, Ellis developed a reputation for a volatile personality.

Ellis was suspended for 30 games in 2008 while with the Warriors. He injured himself while riding a moped, an activity that violated the league's uniform player contract which prohibits players from participating “in any activity that a reasonable person would recognize as involving or exposing the participant to a substantial risk of bodily injury,” including “driving or riding a motorcycle or moped.”

When the Pacers begin their training camp in late September, Ellis’ role could be significantly reduced compared to how he was expected to contribute last season.

As a 12-year veteran, Ellis likely will be asked to help the Pacers’ bench alongside Lance Stephenson, who joined the team late last season. The Pacers’ biggest need in terms of production, when evaluating each position on their depth chart from last year, is the shooting guard position. Pritchard could try to help rectify such an issue by selecting a shooting guard prospect with the Pacers’ first-round pick in Thursday’s draft.